


always be my baby

by cptniall



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drunk Liam, M/M, Protective Zayn, all very vague, and vagueness, its all fluff, seriously considering nialls my fave he really isnt around much anymore, wheres niall, who knows whats happening here all i know is liam is drunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-02 01:16:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2794451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cptniall/pseuds/cptniall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>inspired by the prompt “i drunkenly tried to fight you and knocked myself out but you were kind enough to take care of me till i woke up"<br/>aka liam is an idiot when he’s drunk but zayn will always be there for him</p>
            </blockquote>





	always be my baby

**Author's Note:**

> a part of the seven days of ficmas (a series of mini-fics dedicated to brigitte)

On the spectrum of maturity, from totally childish to respectable adult, Liam and Zayn have always fallen on entirely different ends. At no other time is this more apparent than when Liam is drunk and Zayn is sober. 

“Liam James, you are officially the world’s worst drunk” Zayn mumbles, struggling under the weight of the larger male and knowing full well Liam isn’t even listening to him.

Liam wasn’t even supposed to get this drunk (neither was Niall, to be honest, but at least Niall is peacefully passed out on the tour bus right now). They were just supposed to have a few bears at some local bar after the show. But Louis had insisted they play this stupid game he made up where you have to finish your drink every time someone catches you saying the word “mine”. Zayn and Harry had adjusted to it pretty fast, but Liam, bless him, had obliviously answered with “mine” every time Louis asked him “who’s drink is that?”, even after the twentieth time. 

So now here they are, Liam’s arm around Zayn’s shoulders, stumbling their way towards the tour bus. 

“I want a cheeseburger.” Liam announces suddenly. 

“You can have a cheeseburger in the morning, babe.” Zayn responds calmly and soothingly. Liam shakes his head aggressively.

“Want one now!” He shouts, and Zayn can’t help but let out a sigh. 

“Liam, there’s nowhere around here to get a cheeseburger, not at this time of the night.” Zayn manages to keep his tone cool and collected, even though he’s exhausted and way too sober for this. 

He’s used to looking after Liam and he really doesn’t mind doing it, but tonight Liam’s being petulant and annoying just for the sake of it and Zayn just wants to go to sleep already.

Liam drops his head on to Zayn’s shoulder, causing Zayn’s knees to buckle under the change of pressure. Liam lets out a high-pitched whine.

“Zaaaaaaaayn!” He squeals. “Why don’t you love meeeee?”

“Do love you.” Zayn mumbles as he begins walking again. Liam’s sort of just dragging along behind him, but Zayn doesn’t miss the way his t-shirt is riding up on his stomach, revealing tanned abs and a white waistband. 

“Then let me have a fucking cheeseburger.” Liam insists, head still on Zayn’s shoulder and his teeth biting into Zayn’s skin. Not hard enough to hurt, though. 

“Hey, hey.” Zayn shrugs, coaxing Liam’s head off his shoulder. “None of that please, babe.” 

“Zayn!” Liam shoves Zayn away from him, drunkenly staggering on the spot. “Why are you being such a fucking dick?”

“Come on, don’t do this, let’s just get on the bus, ‘kay?” Zayn reaches out, an attempt to get Liam back under his arm, but Liam just rolls his eyes. They almost stay in the back of his head for a while, and he looks much more comical that he’s probably intending to, so Zayn just smirks.

“I want my cheeseburger.” Liam insists, blinking slowly, no doubt trying to focus his gaze on the Zayn in the middle. 

“Liam—“

“Do you want to fight about it?” Liam puffs out his chest, hitting his fist against it hard. Zayn’s so glad there’s no one around to see this right now. 

“Come one, Li—“

“ _Do you want to fight?_ ” Liam repeats, throwing his arms in the air now. 

Sometimes, when Liam’s drunk, he bypasses innocent, adorable puppy and goes straight to beefcake moron. Tonight is apparently one of those times.

“I’m not gonna fight you, love.” Zayn responds, his tone still calm and soothing. Liam is far too drunk for it to be helping the situation at all, however. 

“Alright, let’s fight then!” Liam’s voice is loud, echoing throughout the dark street as he starts to charge at Zayn. He gets as far as two feet before he starts veering to the right, and smacks himself straight into a nearby light post. 

Zayn rushes to Liam’s side on instinct as Liam falls to the ground, laying flat on his back, eyes shut and limbs splayed everywhere. Zayn’s heart starts beating faster immediately, thousands of panicked thoughts rushing through his mind as he reaches out to touch Liam’s face.

“Liam, babe, are you okay? Are you awake? Talk to me.” Zayn urges, brushes his soft fingertips across Liam’s stubbled cheek. His chest is rising and falling heavily, showing obvious signs of life, but Zayn can’t help but be worried. There’s already a lump forming on Liam’s forehead.

Zayn runs a hand through his long, dark hair, quickly glancing around him for a sign of anyone, anyone at all, who can help him lift Liam’s dead weight onto the bus, or at least a more comfortable patch of floor. No one’s around, and no one seems to be coming, so after taking of his jacket and placing it under Liam’s head, Zayn decides to wait. 

It takes a few minutes, with Zayn just sitting and stroking Liam’s face, before Louis and Harry come bursting out of the door of the pub and racing each other down the street.

“Lou! Haz!” Zayn calls, waving them over frantically. Harry seems to catch on first, grabbing Louis’ hand and guiding the other boy over to where Liam is still unconscious on the ground.

“What happened?” Harry asks, kneeling down next to Zayn. 

“He knocked himself out, the idiot.” Zayn mumbles, a tone of fondness still apparent in his voice even now. He brushes his hand across Liam’s forehead and into his hair. “We need to get him on the bus.”

Louis and Harry nod in agreement, arranging themselves on either side of Liam. The three struggle with Liam’s weight, and Zayn is pretty sure Louis isn’t actually helping at all, but they eventually manage to lift him up and carry him on to the nearby tour bus. 

The boys drop Liam on his bunk, his body remaining still and lifeless as it falls. The bump on his head has a purple tinge to it now, and Zayn winces at the thought that Liam is going to be in a proper strop about this when he wakes up tomorrow. 

“You guys go.” Zayn says quietly, almost as if he’s scared Liam will wake up if he’s too loud. “Get some sleep, I’ll look after him.”

“You sure?” Louis whispers back. He wraps his hands around Harry’s middle and rests his head on his shoulder. They both look sleepy and drunk - not that Zayn has noticed much. His eyes haven’t left Liam’s face. “You can just leave him, you know. He’ll be fine, he’s sleeping now.”

“Yeah.” Zayn swipes his thumb across Liam’s chin. “I just want to make sure though.”

Louis nods in response, and he and Harry pad down the bus towards their bunks, leaving Zayn resting on the edge of Liam’s bunk. 

Liam wakes up fifteen minutes later, eyes slowly opening and his hands immediately reaching for the cold pack Zayn’s holding to his forehead. 

“Hey silly boy.” Zayn smiles, feeling it stretch even wider when Liam’s hand touches his own. 

“What’s going on?” Liam mumbles sleepily, drunkenly, his fingers gently running over Zayn’s. “My head hurts _so_ much.”

“You ran into a pole.” Zayn lets out a breathy laugh, relieved that he has his Liam back. “You’ve been unconscious for a while.”

“And how exactly did I manage that?” Liam groans, running his hand over his face.

“You tried to fight me,” Zayn starts, giggling at the way Liam is now peeking at him through his hands. “because I wouldn’t let you have a cheeseburger.”

“And you still looked after me?” Liam smiles, eyes practically disappearing as the grin takes up his whole face. Zayn would squish him if he wasn’t so worried about hurting him.

“Yeah, babe. Of course I did.” Zayn replies. “I always will.”

Liam knows it to be true as well as Zayn does. Liam has always had a special place in Zayn’s heart, ever since the first day they met four years ago. Zayn feels fireworks when Liam touches his hand, feels a tug in his chest when Liam is upset. Everything Liam does has a direct link to how Zayn feels, and though Zayn knows that may be unhealthy, he simply doesn’t care. Because this is Liam, and Liam is sunshine. Liam is everything. 

Liam is beautiful, Zayn thinks as he falls in to Liam’s open arms, the cold pack being carelessly tossed aside in favour of the sudden affection. Even drunk and bruised and tired, Liam is still the most beautiful boy Zayn has ever seen. 

“I love you, you know.” Liam whispers, lips pressed against Zayn’s forehead. Zayn shifts around on the bed so he can look Liam in the eyes once again, searching them for any sign or clue as to what kind of weight that statement was intended to have.

They stay like that for a while, eyes locked on each other, the only sounds being their matching breathing and the faint snoring coming from Harry’s bunk. Neither of them moving, both too scared of ruining the moment. This beautiful, although undeniably vague and confusing, moment. 

“I love you too.” Zayn says back, after a long while. And he does. But figuring out what that means is an entirely new problem. 

 


End file.
